100 + Chaplains Operating in Unity

 

Following on from Sheila Johnson’s excellent post last month on the unity and teamwork associated with the recent Commonwealth Games, I thought I would add my own perspective based on my experience as a volunteer at the Games.

Operation Unity was the name given to the logistical support provided by West Midlands Police to ensure a professional welcoming environment for those policing the games particularly those from other forces (mutual aid officers). A key part of the support network was the involvement of the West Midlands Police Chaplaincy Team.

 Police chaplaincy nationally is multi-faith with each force having its own chaplaincy service. Like our counterparts in other workplaces, for WMPS we provide an independent, on-going presence to support police officers, PCSOs and civilian staff in their day to day working lives not just during a crisis. We willingly “loiter with intent” thus making us unique in that when an officer at first may not recognise us but then realises who we are and what we are doing often says, “Oh, it’s you Chaplain!”  

 Chaplains for the most part are volunteers and can be either lay or ordained, some are retired police officers who choose chaplaincy as their way of staying involved but all of whom regardless of background, answer a calling to participate in the service of others. When the opportunity came along for regular chaplains such as myself to volunteer our services for the games I did not hesitate. Some of our chaplains signed on for the duration of the games only as they have other chaplaincies they perform and have to return to, but others have agreed to stay on and become part of the regular chaplaincy team. Trust me, there can never be too many Chaplains!!

 To give you an idea of the scale of the operation and teamwork required for just this one part of the game’s organisation for a two week period here are some key stats;

• 66 team leaders and 118 staff manning 18 staff welfare hubs across the region working a total of 2,298 shifts
• 4 Accommodation sites serving hot food plus 6 more conference centres and restaurants plus 2 pop up sites for single day events only
• Approx 70,000 hot meals and 47,000 cold meals were expected to be served
• Total 4,000 police officers deployed with approx 1200 vehicles inc cars, vans, motorbikes and lorries
• These included specialist firearms teams and dog handlers with both general purpose and sniffer dogs available if needed

Our chaplaincy support included being in attendance at various hubsand other locations providing that mutual “loitering with intent” presence which allowed us to engage with officers from all over the UK. At the NEC I even managed a conversation with a couple of Parachute Regiment offices who were part of the specialist military support.

We certainly didn’t go hungry as you can see below (I had already eaten the chicken and bacon pasta salad).

 

We were also given keepsakes including this Operation Unity back pack which my youngest Grandson will be going back to school with next week because “he needs a new one!”

 

We also got to meet this little cutie called Margo, a soon to be trainee sniffer dog and who clearly revelled in all the attention she got from everybody.

 

It was and remains, a unique privilege to be able to stand alongside and serve those who selflessly serve us. Very often we forget that in their day-to-day duties they can often be found running toward danger when the rest of us are usually running in the opposite direction. The teamwork ethic fostered by Operation Unity and the overall positive legacy which the games has left has certainly raised the profile of Birmingham and the West Midlands and was truly astonishing to witness and be a part of.

We all of us have our calling in life, and as writers there is arguably no finer calling. As Sheila rightly pointed out we are also a team, the ACW team. Just like Operation Unity, we come together from different backgrounds, life experiences, keen amateur or prolific professional to support one another on a common journey; to utilise those talents granted to us by God for his greater glory. Romans 12:6-8.

Michael Cronogue originally from London now resides in Walsall in West Midlands region of UK. Writer and blogger discussing matters of faith and theology on his website www.michaelcronogue.com